Strathclyde Business School’s first MOOC explores financial crash and modern business
The global financial crisis – and how modern businesses work – will be examined in Strathclyde Business School's first free course available to learners around the world.
The Massive, Open, Online Course (MOOC) – offered in partnership with education provider FutureLearn – aims to offer learners a high-level perspective on the world of business today, in which all modern organisations operate. The course will be offered from March 2014 by academics from Strathclyde Business School and is the second MOOC offered by the University of Strathclyde.
Dr Viktor Dörfler of the Management Science Department said, "As much as is possible, the course aims to prepare learners for a better understanding of the world of business, as it will look tomorrow.
"To this end, we paint a high level picture of the business environment through themes that are particularly forceful today and which together determine the playing field of any organisation. Four themes are considered which provide different perspectives on the lives of modern organisations in the world of business – knowledge, technology, globalisation and ethics.
"The course culminates in an exploration of the complex phenomenon of the global financial crisis, which learners examine in the context of the four themes."
Dr Dörfler told how he anticipates the subject matter of the course – entitled Understanding Modern Business & Organisations – will appeal to a wide range of learners. He said, "The course is primarily aimed at people from an educational background in areas other than business – but who then start working in organisations.
"Working in any organisation, be it for-profit, non-profit or third sector, means being embedded in the world of business – and therefore a high-level understanding of business is indispensable. A degree of work experience in a business environment, however limited, would be beneficial for learners participating in the course.
"As an international technological university, we are delighted – through our partnership with FutureLearn – to offer learners around the world this innovative route to expanding their knowledge."
Strathclyde's first MOOC, an "Introduction to Forensic Science", was launched last month – January 2014 – by academics in Strathclyde's Centre for Forensic Science, and featured footage of a staged crime scene and the investigatory techniques used by forensic scientists.
FutureLearn is being designed to enable people all over the world to enjoy learning through free courses accessible on mobiles, tablets or PCs. FutureLearn was created in December 2012 as the UK's first provider of free, high-quality MOOCs. Its partners and course providers comprise leading UK and international universities and cultural institutions including the British Library, British Museum and British Council.
